Friday, September 27, 2013

Jazwares have been earning a new title for themselves. DREAM MAKER!! The first expansive Mortal Kombat action figure line. Check. Release of Hanna Barbera and Nicktoons action figure lines in several scales AND plush which included characters no one had ever created before (in plastic), sent to the pegs simultaneously causing spontaneous geekgasms across the globe. Double Check. As they send new waves of Adventure Time and Regular Show merchandise hurtling toward toy shelves and enjoy the glee of kids everywhere as they find excellent Minecraft collectibles hitting their local toy haunts, Jazwares would like to announce...you ain't seen nuthin' yet.

Like it or not, the parade of remakes keeps marching on. While I will admit my disappointment when this particular remake was announced, as the original is fantastic, I'm still keeping an open mind til opening day. Edit: STRUGGLING to keep an open mind. Period.

OLDBOY is a provocative, visceral thriller that follows the story of Joe Doucette, a man who is abruptly kidnapped and held hostage for 20 years in solitary confinement, for no apparent reason. When he is suddenly released without explanation, he begins an obsessive mission to find out who imprisoned him, only to discover that the real mystery is why he was set free.

This Halloween, A+E Networks Consumer Products and In Character Costumes invite trick or treaters to release the quackin' with three all-new, family certified, redneck approved costumes from A&E's record-busting smash series, "Duck Dynasty"!

The "Willie" and "Phil" adult costumes (one size fits most, ages 14+) includes a special "Duck Dynsty" camouflage vest, a beard and patriotic bandana with an attached wig. The "Uncle Si" (one size fits most, ages 14+) includes a "Duck Dynasty" camouflage vest and cap with an attached wig, beard and glasses.

Adult Swim, basic cable television’s #1 network in Total Day for the past eight consecutive years among adults 18-34, 18-49 & 18-24 and men 18-34, 18-49 and 18-24, today launched live streaming functionality on AdultSwim.com and via the Watch [adult swim] app on iOS and Android devices. The launch marks yet another step in Adult Swim’s expansion across multiple platforms as it continues to be one of the industry’s most innovative comedy brands.

TV subscribers may now enjoy Adult Swim programming such as the Emmy Award-winning series Childrens Hospital and Robot Chicken in real time wherever they like on any device, adding value to the official site, which ranks among the top five video sites in the humor category, and the popular Watch [adult swim] app which has nearly four million downloads to date. To watch the live streams, viewers will be required to log in using their TV-provider account information.

By now most of you have seen the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. premiere, but for those of you who have not, I can't yell SPOILER WARNINGS loud enough.

So the day has come when Marvel Comics begins it's slow march to dominance over your Television, and is certainly the night all of nerdom claims victory over nearly all media. I mean..we'll never crack that musical code, will we? I think not....but MC Chris is still working on it. For me, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. had giant sized shoes to fill, what with all the people I know who saw the pilot in advance acting like it was the second coming of JC. There was little hope the show would meet such high expectations, and yet, I was still hopeful. What I got was a decent beginning. The characters are a bit stale, the settings uninteresting and the story line, one we, as intense geeks, have seen time and time again, so overall, the result was..again..a decent beginning and nothing more. Let's hope the show creators take the ball and instead of running with it, set it on fire and make this show their own with excellent Marvel Universe references throughout and mind blowing scenarios I probable drew with crayons as a baby dork. All well and good, but that's not what you came here for. We need to talk about Phil.

In a future world where people are divided into distinct factions based on their personalities, Tris Prior is warned she is Divergent and will never fit into any one group. When she discovers a conspiracy to destroy all Divergents, she must find out what makes being Divergent so dangerous before it's too late.

The synopsis for the book gives a bit more story...In
Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five
factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular
virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the
brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an
appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the
faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice,
the decision is between staying with her family and being who she
really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises
everyone, including herself.

For a game as monumentally huge as Minecraft, it's baffling that there have only been a handful of collectibles on the market to feed your need for 8 bit awesome. Jazwares is about to change all that with everything from plush to papercraft to straight up action figures. Here's the run down...

Since launching in 2009, Minecraft has become one of the most popular and fastest growing video game licenses. Below is just a little bit of history on how an independent game built itself into one of the biggest licenses around.

Minecraft has been available as a downloadable Ap and released on PC and Xbox. A release on the new Xbox One and Playstation 4 is also confirmed. Over 24 million copies have been sold to date. The game has over 56 million registered users, over 7.6 million Youtube video uploads with the most popular viewed 111 million times, over 6.7 million Facebook fans and over 1.5 million Twitter followers. Minecraft is the hottest search term on Google ahead of LEGO, Star Wars and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Adult Swim will host highly-anticipated panels and talent signings for fan-favorite series The Venture Bros., Robot Chicken, The Heart, She Holler, Eagleheart, Rick and Morty, and China, IL at New York Comic Con at the Jacob K. Javits Center, Friday, October 11 and Saturday, October 12. See the full lineup below and please note all times, dates and locations are subject to change. Visit AdultSwimPresents.com for more details.

Marvel's Ultimate Spider-Man makes its Disney Channel debut in a special one-hour Halloween event, Saturday, October 5 at 9pm/8c. This brand new prime time animation special features a never-before-seen team-up with Blade, the fan favorite vampire hunter; Jack Russell aka Werewolf by Night; The Living Mummy; Frankenstein’s Monster and Man-Thing. United together in animation for the first time, Spider-Man and his monstrous allies take on one of the biggest Halloween villains of all time, Dracula!

This landmark Marvel event also features a star-studded voice cast, including Disney Channel star Ross Lynch (Austin & Ally, Teen Beach Movie) as Jack Russell; Terry Crews (The Expendables) as Blade; and Oded Fehr (The Mummy) as The Living Mummy.

How can I explain China, IL to someone who has never watched it before without scaring them away from the show all together? Challenging. If I say it's insane (which it is), some folks might assume it is too intense for them or have flashbacks of 12 oz Mouse, which would send any human being running. If I say it is hysterical in the most original and unpredictable ways possible (which it is), you might liken it to Xavier: Renegade Angel, which was very original and unpredictable...but extremely unfunny. Hopefully you are getting a sense of what I'm talking about here...

This Fall, the eagerly anticipated conclusion of Hasbro Studios’ Emmy® Award-winning series will finally unleash in a special TRANSFORMERS PRIME original feature presentation for home entertainment. On October 8, 2013, Shout! Factory, in collaboration with Hasbro Studios, invite kids, families and loyal fans to further venture into the awe-inspiring world of TRANSFORMERS PRIME when TRANSFORMERS PRIME BEAST HUNTERS – PREDACONS RISING debuts as a special original feature on Blu-ray™+ DVD combo pack and on DVD.

Brimming with spectacular CG animation, a captivating storyline and unforgettable characters from the TRANSFORMERS PRIME lore, this 90-min epilogue to the final season delivers entertaining cinematic adventure the whole family will enjoy. Wrapping up the series that chronicled the epic battle between the DECEPTICONS and the AUTOBOTS, the Blu-ray+DVD combo pack and DVD edition contain insightful bonus content, taking viewers behind-the-scenes. Available in stores everywhere, TRANSFORMERS PRIME BEAST HUNTERS – PREDACONS RISING is an essential home entertainment collection for TRANSFORMERS fans of all ages. The deluxe Blu-ray+DVD combo pack is priced to own with a suggested retail price of $24.97; and $16.97 for the DVD.

Saturday, September 21, 2013

In a world where the forces of cute and intolerably adorable clash for supremacy of the toy isles on a daily bases, one product rises above the others and, through sheer force of originality and somewhat disgusting features, shall win the hearts of all children who can't really get down with pastel ponies. Introducing...The Ugglys from Moose Toys! The adorkable farting, belching, fly infested pug puppies who should really look into their diet. Making those noises from all your orifices...it can't be healthy.

Friday, September 20, 2013

Yes, we are still doing Halloween. I freaking promise. Toys R Us is doing Halloween as well...in a big big way, so sit tight and read through and we promise there is spooky in there. Ok? OK. Yesterday saw me train hopping into New York City (my home away from home) at the invitation of Toys R Us to check out the items they've selected as the shiniest for your holiday gift buying. A small, elite crew of beautiful ladies were on hand to walk us through these items, explaining features and giving the answer to the eternal question "What does this button do?" We'll give you a breakdown of what we saw along with blurbs from TRU's press release on the subject and then we'll go in depth with the items you will undoubtedly be most interested in at a later date...except for Xbox One. I'm 90% sure that was just an empty box sitting there and any time I got too close to it, I could hear ninja rustling around behind the drapes. I did pet the box, though. It was a nice box. A green box. Watch for my comments in blue amid the press blurbs.

Fan-favorite Daryl Dixon, from AMC's hit television series The Walking Dead, is a lone wolf survivalist who has proven time and again to be a vital sentinel for Rick Grimes and his group in an unpredictable and perilous apocalyptic world.

This deluxe box set features Daryl Dixon with his iconic chopper motorcycle. The 5-inch tall figure's exact likeness is created using a full 3D scan of the actor himself, Norman Reedus! This sculpt portrays Daryl in his angel wings stitched biker vest and includes approximately 20 points of articulation, hunting knife and updated crossbow. Daryl's transportation of choice in this apocalyptic world is his brother Merle's black chopper motorcycle. The first vehicle produced for The Walking Dead action figure line, this iconic chopper includes the lightning-bolt insignia on the tank, skull decal, and saddlebags.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

From those wacky psychos who bring you endless fart jokes on "Robot Chicken" every week comes the instant stop motion classic "Friendship All-Stars"!

Friendship All-Stars is a stop-motion animated series
following the gloriously mundane lives of celebrity roommates who all
happen to live in the same apartment building.

See Guillermo del Toro and Ron Perlman share an apartment and shout about being the best fucking friends in the world! Thrill as subversive street artist Banksy and David Bowie add their own magical touches to the world around them. For the super geeks in the house, we've selected a vid with Batmans of movies past having a slumber party. It's...ridiculous..and awesome. Enjoy.

Those of us who live in weather devastated areas are now part of a unique club we hope the rest of you never have to join. In New Jersey, the boats alongside the highways, houses crumbling from the foundation up and constant calls for clothing and food donations spoke volumes about the level of chaos caused by Superstorm Sandy. One house spared and two doors down, a total loss...and yet we were all still very lucky. As the most fantastically spooky month of the year draws closer and the anniversary of that horrible day looms, we are looking to get things back on track in a big way...and that starts with reclaiming HALLOWEEN!! IT'S OUUUUUURS!!!

Last year, the Halloween Parade was hit hard by Superstorm Sandy, causing its unprecedented cancellation. This year, the Parade is poised to celebrate its 40th Anniversary, but now the Parade's future is in jeopardy due to financial losses from last year.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

1. No 5th Element toys of any kind
2. No official Clockwork Orange Alex figure in any scale
3. No Anchorman action figures with Kung Fu grip

There are many more, but we didn't want to lose focus...as one of those blights on history is about to be corrected.

From Beeline Creative comes..THE TALKING RON BURGUNDY ACTION FIGURE!! (CLICK HERE to pre-order!) Don't call him a doll or he'll punch you in the chops with a surly right hook and you'll thank him for it as you steal the faintest whiff of Scotch on his breathe. His tiny, tiny plastic breath.

DC Entertainment, home of the World’s Greatest Super Heroes and the comic book industry’s most talented artists and writers, today announced a stellar program of New York Comic Con panels, signings, announcements and other events certain to excite fans of all ages, led by a jaw-dropping display of eight historic Superman costumes from the big and small screen in celebration of Superman’s 75th Anniversary.

With an array of costumes previously worn by the likes of Christopher Reeve, Henry Cavill, Brandon Routh, Dean Cain and Tom Welling – the scope of this epic exhibit will expand the publisher’s convention presence beyond the floor of the Jacob Javitz Center and into the building’s public entryway – making DC’s expanded footprint undeniable to convention attendees and the public at large, and making for a convention-wide 75th anniversary celebration of The Man of Steel. A star-studded panel honoring the Man of Steel and discussing the beloved character’s many personifications, impressive history, and ongoing relevance within society and entertainment, is also in the works.

Wizard World, Inc. (OTCBB: WIZD), the world's largest pop culture convention series is announcing a large-scale expansion to its already largest Comic Con Tour. Fans of movies, TV, cosplay, comics, graphic novels, toys, games, sci-fi, sports entertainment, music and more across the U.S. will now be treated to a whopping 15 events in 2014, potentially with room for additional expansion.

Wizard World promises to continue bringing top-level celebrities for autographs, photo ops and panel programming as well as top rated TV show and blockbuster film and game releases to engage with the Comic Con audience. Additionally, while industry trends show artists exhibition areas shrinking at many other convention show floors, Wizard World has a strong commitment to including leading and up-and-coming comic book artists and writers from the U.S. and from all over the world. Over a dozen countries’ top talent have been represented at Wizard World 2013 events including Canada, Mexico, Spain, Great Britain, France, Italy, Philippines, Turkey, Singapore, Croatia, Brazil, Saudi Arabia and more.

The leaves are rustling in the trees. The air grows slightly crisper. We begin to pull out our warmer clothing and contemplate the shift in season. Surely...WINTER IS COMING!! And instead of White Walkers at your door, you'll be waiting for delivery men to arrive with packages full of Factory Entertainment's Game of Thrones plush toys...which you may give out as presents this holiday season, but only after securing entire sets for yourself. YOU MUST HAVE THEM ALL! Let me show you why...

When last we spoke with Factory Entertainment, they only has brilliant couch pillows to show off. Now, there's so much more. Prepare for adorable.

It’s been an exciting
year for Dark Horse as they’ve tried to challenge the Big 2 by expanding their
reach into the superhero genre. Although Dark Horse has always had a flagship
“superhero” in Hellboy they’ve never been a contender in that department
because Hellboy’s been more a supernatural book than the “proper” capes and
spandex superhero. Although they’ve had some success with Captain Midnight, X,
Ghost and Brain Boy, I think Donny Cates and Mark Reznicek’s Buzzkill is the
most ambitious of the Dark Horse superhero movement due to the sheer force of its originality.
Originality is very hard to find today in modern comics (modern anything
really) because it’s such a risk. But getting into the superhero business
against the Big 2 is a pretty large risk by itself, so Dark Horse already
proves that they’re a little drunk on danger. So does Buzzkill’s original
spirit kill Dark Horse’s buzz? (Sorry had to.)

Monday, September 16, 2013

New York Comic Con, the biggest pop culture event of the year, is almost here--and "Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." will be there with the action and excitement no fan can miss!"Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." premieres Tuesday, September 24 at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC

First, visit the Marvel Booth (#1354) beginning on Friday, October 11 for a chance to (almost) touch Lola! That’s right, the iconic vehicle of Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) will be on display for the first time ever to the public and this is your once-in-a-lifetime chance to see--and be photographed with--a piece of Marvel history! Plus, fans can pick up an exclusive "Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." mini-poster (while supplies last) in the Marvel Booth to show their support for everyone’s favorite elite international agents.

Welp..part of it at least! You and I know full well Diamond Select puts out approximately 5 thousand new toys, action figures, collectibles and amusing doodads in a year. Approximately 5 thousand. We had our mathical people check those numbers. Diamond sends word of the creepy, awesome and trektastical products they'll be pushing out into 2014...

The October issue of Previews won't reach comic shops until the end of this month, but retailers are already taking orders for all the new items from Diamond Select Toys! Early 2014 will bring a bunch of cool items, including a new Star Trek ship, two new Marvel Minimates box sets, two new Universal Monsters banks, two much-requested Marvel Select figures, a new Marvel bottle opener and our first-ever Tarot plush item! There's something for everybody!

It's a universal constant. Wildly popular TV shows get spin-offs. All in the Family had The Jeffersons, Different Strokes had The Facts of Life, and The Facts of Life had George Clooney. Now, AMC looks to stretch that zombie dolla dolla bill and prolong the undead shelf life if it's most popular TV franchise (ducks from Breaking Bad fans) with a new show set in that same, rotting universe.

We’re super excited to announce that AMC is in development of a
companion series to The Walking Dead, slated to premiere in 2015. Robert
Kirkman, Gale Ann Hurd, and David Alpert will return as executive
producers.

We don't often push Kickstarters, as we like you to be able to actually purchase and play with the items we tell you about and not tease you into submission followed by a "Woops! Not getting made. Sorry, folks." Today, our heart strings were pulled, torn out and gnawed upon by the promise of hideous mutant freaks...playing football. How could we say no?

An all-star team of talent has been assembled to breathe new life into one of the video game industry's most beloved, and downright brutal, sports-hybrid genres. Michael Mendheim, the original creator and lead designer of Mutant League, is initiating a Kickstarter effort for a new video game entitled Mutant Football League™. With fan support, and a successful Kickstarter campaign, Mendheim is planning to release his Mutant Football League game on Xbox LIVE, as well as on iOS and Android tablets.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

There has been so much Batman merchandise on the market in the last year, you could fill up an entire room with it all and NEVER BE ABLE TO ENTER IT AGAIN!! OK slight exaggeration....but only very slight. DC Collectibles is gearing up for the release of the Batman: Arkham Origins video game and, knowing full well how popular their previous collections have been, they are already showing off series 2 a full month before the game sees release.

Batman: Arkham Origins features an expanded Gotham City and introduces an original prequel storyline occurring several years before the events of Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City. Taking place before the rise of Gotham City’s most dangerous villains and assassins, the game showcases a young, raw, unrefined Batman as he faces a defining moment in his early career as a crime fighter that sets his path to becoming the Dark Knight. As the story unfolds, witness identities being formed and key relationships being forged.

Saturday, September 14, 2013

After all the Calvin Ball games have been completed and the monstrous snowmen have melted away and Spaceman Spiff has hung up his goggles for the last time, there is love and marriage and a child...named Bacon. On one particular night when the really for real monsters came scraping at the closet door, an old friend is called on for support.

Pants Are Overrated was an ongoing web strip from Dan and Tom Heyerman, who wear their love of Bill Watterson's "Calvin and Hobbes" on their collective sleeves. I scoured the internet (in the 10 minutes I allotted for this task) to find some comment on the strips and what inspired them out of the blue, but could find nothing. I can report that, while "Bacon" seems like just a silly name, Tom commented "I had the idea for naming her bacon partly because it’s a nickname I use for my niece, and partly because it would nicely fit in with the canon of Calvin & Hobbes. (with Calvin being named after John Calvin and Hobbes after Thomas Hobbes and so..) She’s named after Francis Bacon."

Friday, September 13, 2013

With the debut of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on ABC just days away, eFX Inc. is marking the historic occasion with a New York Comic-Con exclusive edition of its replica Phil Coulson S.H.I.E.L.D. agent badge and ID card. As a New York Comic-Con exclusive, fans can join the ranks of S.H.I.E.L.D. – at least, they’ll have the credentials to prove it. (Getting past security may be a whole different matter.)

The metal badge is made from the original master molds of the screen-used badge, and the ID card is made from the original digital files. It comes in a real leather ID wallet, which is embossed with the S.H.I.E.L.D. emblem.

In addition to the replica of this incredible prop, the NYCC-exclusive convention edition includes a personalized S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent ID card.

DC Collectibles, the high-end toy and collectible line from DC Entertainment revealed two exciting new “con exclusive” products that will only be available for purchase at New York Comic-Con 2013.

The first is a Super Best Friends Forever: Poison Ivy PVC Figure, designed by Lauren Faust and sculpted by Irene Matar. Super Best Friends Forever is from the popular interstitial shorts shown during DC Nation on Cartoon Network. Poison Ivy measures approximately 6.625” tall and is priced at $24.95.

This October, Robot Chicken returns to Blu-ray™ and DVD in all of its stop-motion – and Emmy® Award-winning – glory in the latest release from Adult Swim, Robot Chicken Season 6! The top-rated, animated television series from co-creators Seth Green and Matthew Senreich continues to bring pop-culture parodies to life in the modern take on the variety/sketch show format that has become its trademark. Featuring all 20 episodes from the series’ latest season on Adult Swim, the Robot Chicken Season 6 Blu-ray and DVD boasts a treasure trove of behind-the-scenes footage and insider-access content – enough to satiate any fan of the series, Adult Swim, and pop culture. It will be available on Blu-ray and DVD on October 8, 2013 for the suggested retail price of $39.98 and $29.98, respectively.

All of the second season of "Mortal Kombat: Legacy II" will debut worldwide at once Sept. 26, 2013 exclusively on Machinima (YouTube.com/Machinima), the number one video entertainment network for young males around the world. “Mortal Kombat: Legacy II,” produced by Warner Bros. Digital Distribution, is the hit live action web series based on the legendary Mortal Kombat video game franchise, co-created by Ed Boon, developed by NetherRealm Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. "Mortal Kombat: Legacy II" is directed by Kevin Tancharoen (“Mortal Kombat: Legacy”) and co-written by Josh Baizer and Marshall Johnson (“Dead Loss”).

Diamond Select Toys is gearing up for their next convention, and in one month they’ll be at New York Comic-Con in Art Asylum’s hometown of New York City – the birthplace of Minimates! Not only will DST have a cool new exclusive product — as well as the ever-popular Build-A-Minimate station — at booth #2036 at the Javits Center, they’ll be hosting two panels full of hot new reveals! Read on for more info!

First things first: the exclusive! DST will be offering an extremely limited variant on their 9-inch Femme Fatales PVC statue of David Mack’s Kabuki. Only 100 pieces have been made of an unmasked Kabuki, showing off her facial scars. The individually numbered statues will be sold in a window box for $45, and will go on sale on Thursday, Oct. 10, at the start of the show. So if you don’t have a four-day ticket, ask somebody who does to swing by!

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Hannibal: Season One, the new addictive series on NBC from Gaumont International Television that has audiences everywhere on the edge of their seats, will be available for the first time on Blu-ray Disc, DVD and Digital Download September 24 from Lionsgate Home Entertainment. From Bryan Fuller, the co-creator of TV's "Wonderfalls" and "Pushing Daisies," David Slade, the director of Hard Candy and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse and based on the novels of Thomas Harris, Hannibal: Season One delves into the complex mind of iconic villain Hannibal Lecter.

In just one month, the second largest comic book and pop culture convention in the world lights up the sleepy, hum-drum little city known as New York. As the convention grows to mammoth proportions and adds an additional day to assure your complete nerdification, we noted the need for San Diego Comic-Con levels of coverage for the one element you generally need to scour 50 websites to get a complete picture of. THE EXCLUSIVES!!

Captain Action (booth 226) kicks things off with a selection of awesome products celebrating the retro appeal of this amazing license and guaranteed to set your geeky mind ablaze. Items on tap include...

1. Dr. Evil in a Retro Box - Dr. Evil in retro style “coffin box”. Harkening back to the sixties, these so-called coffin boxes were the standard form of packaging in an age before blister packs. Additionally, this retro-style packaging shows the insidious costume sets for Dr. Evil; Thor’s evil-half brother Loki and the upcoming costume sets as well The Joker, The Red Skull and Brainiac.

Just when you thought it was safe to seal your collectible Harry Potter 3D glasses in a plastic display case, forever containing all the magic of that night when you watched the last film with militant tween girls who stood up at the start of the film and announced "If any of you make one sound during this movie, we will kill you. We promise." Ahhh..memories. Now, J.K. Rowling is making the press rounds, expressing her disappointment with the reception of her "Adult" book and vocalizing a desire to return to the world that brings her sooooo much muggle love.

Though there is currently no official words from Warner Brothers even hinting at a release date or specific details, they have stated the new film will be based on Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the first-year textbook that Potter uses at Hogwarts school in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Rowling had this to add...

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

It's that wonderful time of the year when we grab our hoodies and think about what insane costume we'll be putting on this Halloween...and so it's a no brainer for Cartoon Network to get in on the spookiness with a special DVD collection allowing us to relive the most spine tingling moments from one of the oddest cartoons on TV today...the Regular Show.

Cartoon Network’s Emmy® Award-winning hit animated comedy series Regular Show is back with its fifth and most frightening DVD ever, just in time for Halloween! The Regular Show: Fright Pack DVD, available September 3, 2013, features “Terror Tales of the Park II,” the 2-part Halloween special as its lead episode, wherein Mordecai, Rigby, Margaret and Benson tell scary stories on their way to a Halloween party. Also included on the DVD are 12 other hilarious episodes from the first four seasons of the top-rated show created by J.G. Quintel. Along with a character gallery bonus feature, Regular Show: Fright Pack will be available for the suggested retail price of $19.82 and features the following episodes:

We don't cover a lot of video games, unless it is the nerdiest of the nerdy or pulls so hardcore on your retro heart strings, we have no choice, but I'm a sucker for post-apocalyptic adventure (as evidenced by my recent devouring of Revolution season 1 in a 3 day sitting) and this new game play trailer for Call of Duty: Ghosts is...just...the stuff that awesome aspires to be.

The franchise that has defined a generation of gaming is set to raise the bar once again with the all-new Call of Duty: Ghosts. Published by Activision and developed by Infinity Ward, the studio that created the original Call of Duty and the critically-acclaimed Call of Duty: Modern Warfare series, Call of Duty: Ghosts ushers in the next generation of the franchise, delivering a riveting all-new gameplay experience built on an entirely new story, setting and cast, all powered by a new next-generation Call of Duty engine.

Monday, September 9, 2013

Some Blu-ray sets come in heads.....actually, in my experience, most come in heads. Or with heads. The new Breaking Bad complete series Blu-ray set comes in a barrel...which would be innocent enough, were you not fans of the show and know full well what the barrel is used for.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment cooks up a full batch on Nov. 26 when BREAKING BAD: THE COMPLETE SERIES comes to Blu-ray™ in its entirety. One of the most explosive series ever to air on television, the 16-disc set is this year’s must-have gift for the holiday season, complete with all 62 episodes and more than 55 hours of special features. Starring three-time Emmy® winner Bryan Cranston (Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series) alongside two-time Emmy® winner Aaron Paul (Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series), the critically acclaimed drama from Sony Pictures Television boasts one of television’s most radical storylines, giving viewers a glimpse into the life of how far a man might go in order to take care of the ones he loves. “Bryan Cranston is still turning in a transformative, unimpeachable performance as Walt, who remains one of the greatest dramatic creations ever to grace our TV screens,” hails USA Today’s Robert Bianco.

An anonymous source over at DC Collectibles managed to get a hold of this highly classified dossier that breaks down the key members of the Crime Syndicate, who can currently be seen causing all manner of mayhem in last week's FOREVER EVIL #1 comic release. Whether this is your first run-in with the Syndicate or if you've tangled with these dark dopplegangers before, this file should be considered required reading before you let these very shady characters into your homes (and collections!).

Look for the new Crime Syndicate action figures to make their way to your favorite comic book and specialty stores in February and March, 2014. To be more specific...

Ultraman, Superwoman and Power Ring are set for a February release
Owlman and Johnny Quick with Atomica will arrive in March

Horror fans and collectibles go together like a plump, happy kid and pie. I'd go so far as to say horror fans are the ONLY segment of geekdom you can always talk into buying some sort of collectible from their favorite films or depicting a specific favorite character. Not sure what it is, but we just love looking at the grinning, drooling, maniacal faces of our favorite fiends every day. Gives us warm fuzzies. Bowen is a statue manufacturer that has been cranking out exceptional Marvel goods for some time now, but only recently have they been treading down the darker corridors made famous by The Avengers and Spider-Man. This past April, Bowen released a Tomb of Dracula statue that blew the minds of vampire lovers everywhere. Now, they add an undead experiment to the mix.

Friday, September 6, 2013

Joss Whedon, the creative genius behind the feature film “Marvel’s The Avengers,” one of the highest grossing films of all time, and of the iconic television series “Buffy The Vampire Slayer,” has co-created “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” a dynamic, action-packed one-hour drama that brings back Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) to lead a team of highly skilled agents to investigate extra-normal and super human people and events worldwide. The series premieres Tuesday, September 24 (8:00-9:01 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.

Following hot on the heels of the Skeletor Life-Sized Bust
announcement, Pop Culture Shock Collectibles are proud to
offer the skull-faced-one’s nemesis; He-Man.
This long requested hero joins the ranks of other PCSC warriors in stark and
stunning cold-cast polystone.

The alter-ego of Prince Adam is rendered as he appeared in the
Filmation animation, standing atop a Castle Greyskull base. Standard edition (limit
of 1000 pcs) will be available at all regular retail channels. For the die-hard
MOTU fan, there will be an exclusive version featuring that includes the inept
wizard, ORKO,available ONLY via PCSC’s website.

Welp...the movie didn't do so hot...and Mr. Depp didn't exactly ingratiate himself with the public by blaming movie critics for the film's flop...but this is America, where we love jerks no matter what they do...AND BUY ACTION FIGURES OF THEM! Yay. Hot Toys adds to your legion of high end, eerily life-like 12 inch action figures with the white faced, crow headed, insane American Indian you want to snuggle up with and go "shhh..shhh...just make another pirates movie...shhhh".

The latest pitch into the pile of movies on Marvel/Disney's slate for the foreseeable future (read til the end of time) sees Disney's excellent influence inserting itself. I give partial props to Marvel for the decision to entertain the idea of a female driven Captain Marvel movie, but I'm also positive having a company like Disney backing this play (if not fully influencing it due to a history of strong female characters in wildly successful animated features even without the singing and dancing), is going a long way to POSSIBLY push this project forward, perhaps even past some other male heroes waiting in the wings. If there's one thing Marvel loves doing, maybe more than putting out excellent stories and creating killer movies, it's sticking it to DC Comics...and those bastards just refused to let Batwoman marry another woman in her comic. Worst. Idea. Ever.

Why it did so with so little fanfare is beyond me, but maybe I was out of the fanfare loop? Anyways, I still am not fond of the sleeker, black look, but the rest of it is compelling. They may explore more of the human-robot conflict within himself and that makes for good drama, if written well. Bottom line, I don't hate this!!

Thursday, September 5, 2013

In a time when women are struggling for positive depictions of women in comic books and film to combat this horrific wave of over sexualized pop-idol party nymphs, we are presented with a new video game called Girl Fight.

Developed by Kung Fu Factory, Girl Fight is an arcade-style 3D fighting game featuring a cast of woman warriors who have been abducted by a shadowy corporation to experiment on the potential Psi Powers of these deadly ladies. As part of their virtual reality experimentation, each fighter creates a unique arena based on their respective life memories bringing a vivid backstory for each character.

Sounds nifty, right? I would have been sold on this alone, were it not for the ridiculous lesbionic image emblazoned across the game's cover (to your left, in case you missed it.) Cheap ploy for a male dominated video game system's attention, I'd say. I guess they have no interest in your lady gamer dollars, though I'm sure a percentage of you ladies would play if the payoff was digital groping for the victor. Prev. Reverb sends over some gameplay footage and images that may sway your opinion, if you aren't already too annoyed to continue. We couldn't dump that trailer on here, as it needed to be behind an age gate and we don't have that super power, so here's another trailer. No clothing is torn off here, so...I guess that's a step in the right direction...

Thirty five films will screen in the prestigious main slate of the 51st New York Film Festival (September 27 - October 13, 2013). The roster has been announced and you can get the latest details right now at FilmLinc.com.

This fall, 75,000 people will once again celebrate today's biggest and best films at the New York Film Festival. "I love the level of diversity in the main slate selections, which includes documentaries, biographies, comedies, adventures, epics, chamber pieces, elegies, explorations and affirmations," NYFF Selection Committee Chair Kent Jones said today, "I hope you enjoy it as much as we did."

Idle Hands has been pouring over the amazing lineup of films on hand this year and we've pulled our favorites, which are just a meager sampling, of course. Some we picked for the obvious content. Some we picked because we've heard there is a powerhouse performance to be seen...and some are made by folks capable of such overwhelming beauty we knew you wouldn't want to miss it.

When we first got a look at the goosebump inducing teaser for the new film from Alfonso Cuarón ("Children of Men"), the unanimous public reaction was ....Holy Damn. Now Warner Brothers gives us a lengthy look at the film that's going to have you biting off all your nails and climbing up into your seat.

Academy Award® winners Sandra Bullock (“The Blind Side”) and George Clooney (“Syriana”) star in “Gravity,” a heart-pounding thriller that pulls you into the infinite and unforgiving realm of deep space. The film was directed by Oscar® nominee Alfonso Cuarón.

Bullock plays Dr. Ryan Stone, a brilliant engineer on her first shuttle mission, with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski (Clooney). But on a seemingly routine spacewalk, disaster strikes. The shuttle is destroyed, leaving Stone and Kowalski completely alone—tethered to nothing but each other and spiraling out into the blackness.

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